4 things you need to know

Summary

Activation Lock is an anti-theft system for Apple devices meant to prevent unauthorized usage or erasure.
It’s available on most Apple products, such as iPhones, iPads, Macs, and Apple Watches.
Remember to disable the Activation Lock before transferring a device to someone else.

Apple likes to project an image of its products being dead simple. That’s true in many circumstances, but in others, the company can be plagued by feature creep. It’s easy to understand why — Apple needs iPhones, iPads, and Macs to stay competitive, which means meeting the demands of customers, not to mention keeping up with technological advancements. The result is a growing list of features and options that can overwhelm new users.

Some features even go unexplained, unless perhaps you ask Siri or search the web for more details. A prime example is Activation Lock — it’s mentioned during setup on Apple devices, but often never referenced again until it becomes a problem. Here’s what you need to know about how it works.

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1 Activation Lock is a deeply embedded anti-theft system

Assume you should leave it on

Apple / Pocket-lint

The purpose of Activation Lock is to block other people from using your device without permission, whether they stole it or simply found it. It’s enabled automatically when you set up Find My. The feature links device details with your Apple Account, and checks that via Apple servers every time a device is activated or recovered.

The feature links device details with your Apple Account, and checks every time a device is activated or recovered.

In fact, it does a lot more than block general usage — it stops people from turning off Find My tracking, or even erasing a device. It remains active if you perform a remote wipe via Find My (more on that later), so that’s probably the first thing you should do if your device goes missing. The hassle of restoring an iCloud backup is preferable to someone guessing (or brute-forcing) your login and gaining access to personal data.

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2 The option is available on most Apple products

Sorry, Apple TV owners

The Modular Ultra watchface on an Apple Watch Ultra 2.

Activation Lock is available on most Apple products that support Find My. Devices specifically include:

iPhones with iOS 15 or later
iPads with iPadOS 15 or later
Apple Watches running watchOS 2 or later
Macs equipped with Apple Silicon or a T2 Security Chip, and running macOS Catalina or later
The Apple Vision Pro

Conspicuously absent on this list are HomePods and Apple TVs, even though they regularly contact Apple servers. You also won’t find any Beats or AirPods headphones — while some can be linked to Find My, they have no way of going online themselves, and it would be irritating if you had to authenticate your Apple Account just to pair earbuds.

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3 You need to remove Activation Lock before you transfer a device

Save everyone a massive headache

If you’re looking to sell an Apple device, or give it away, there’s no choice but to disable Activation Lock first. That applies even if you’re sending a device to Apple for repairs. If you don’t, the other party will inevitably have to ask you for assistance — and if they don’t realize that, they may decide to ship it back to you and/or ask for a refund.

Always ask about Activation Lock when buying used goods, preferably before handing over any cash.

The good news is that you can disable Activation Lock remotely if you forget to do it in person. Simply go to iCloud.com/find, sign in to your Apple Account, then click Remove This Device for the product you’re concerned with. Even if the device is offline, the removal will kick in the moment it reconnects.

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4 Activation Lock disappears when you erase your device

A potentially time-saving piece of info

Another handy thing to know is that if you’re erasing your own Apple device in person, Activation Lock is automatically disabled. That makes sense — the process disables Find My at the same time. On an iPhone or iPad, you can start a local wipe by going to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset [Device] > Erase All Content and Settings.

Note that this doesn’t apply if you use the Find My app (or iCloud.com) to perform a remote wipe or mark a device as lost. Activation Lock will remain active, partly to offer a chance of recovery if you were too quick to pull the trigger. It’s also another form of theft deterrence, since someone could conceivably try to blackmail you. Remotely erased devices continue to appear in Find My tracking.